Original subtitles

A gibbon.

The most acrobatic...

...the most graceful...

...of a remarkable animal family.

One family...

...countless faces.

Monkeys...

...apes...

...lemurs.

A family that's found in almost every habitat on the planet.

(CALLS)

Each has their own unique strategy for survival,

which we're only just beginning to understand.

Meet the Primates.

The canyons of Northeast Brazil.

Home to one of the world's smartest animals.

(ANIMALS CALL)

Bearded capuchins.

This large troop of 40 sleep in the caves at the top of the cliffs...

...safe from predators.

But that means they have a daily descent of 200 metres

just to find anything to eat.

It's the peak of the dry season.

There's been no rainfall for eight months.

There is some food here.

Lizards are a source of protein and water,

but to catch them, you need to be smart.

Capuchins have mastered a skill almost no other animal has.

They make and use tools.

Tailor-made for every job.

And these sticks are shaped for hunting in crevices.

But they have another, even more ingenious strategy

that gives them access to a superfood.

Wild cashews.

The nuts inside are rich in fats and minerals,

but the shells are almost impossible to break into.

Unless you're a capuchin.

The adults make it look easy,

although, in fact, it takes several years of practice.

By age five, this youngster has learned the basics.

But that hammer's too small.

That's a better size...

...but he's still got to get the angle just right.

Finally.

No capuchin is born with these abilities -

they have to be learned,

passed down from generation to generation.

We've recently discovered

that capuchins have been using stone tools here for at least 3,000 years,

and it's one of the key reasons

why they can survive in such an inhospitable environment.

Across the world, there are over 500 different species of primates.

And we are constantly discovering more

about their diverse adaptations.

Spider monkeys are born for a life in the highest canopy,

with a tail that works like an extra arm.

(MONKEYS CALL)

Howler monkeys - the loudest primate.

In fact, one of the loudest animals on land.

The strange aye-aye has a unique, bony middle finger

so sensitive it can locate grubs hidden in tree trunks.

Colourful forest monkeys.

Acrobatic urban residents.

Primates come in all shapes and sizes.

And one of the biggest - and most endangered - lives here...

...on these volcanic slopes in Virunga, Central Africa.

A silverback mountain gorilla.

He's well over twice the weight of an average man...

...and over 4,000 times bigger than the smallest primate.

(GRUNTING)

His displays of strength

keep intruders and challengers at bay.

And him at the top.

It's no surprise gorillas have a fearsome reputation.

The silverback's aggression

maintains order in gorilla family life.

This male has been very successful.

He's ruled his group of 14 for six years.

He's in the prime of his life.

But not everyone shows him the respect he deserves.

(JAUNTY MUSIC)

(GRUNTS)

(YOUNG GORILLA TRILLS)

There really is no escape.

He's a climbing frame.

A drum.

A trampoline.

But this tolerance could be a deliberate tactic.

The latest research shows that for an alpha male,

there's more to success than just aggressive displays of power.

He certainly is strong...

...but he's also gentle.

(CONTENTED GRUNTS)

Attentive.

Even playful.

The females seem to find his softer side irresistible.

Caring fathers raise up to five times as many infants.

For primates, family matters.

When it really counts, they back each other up.

This yellow baboon is on the run.

(BABOON CALLS)

Somehow, he's escaped this leopard's first attack.

(LOW GROWLING)

But the cat is still on his trail.

His hope is that he won't be discovered.

The game is up.

Baboons can elude most predators in the trees.

But not a leopard.

(BABOONS CALL)

Fortunately, this baboon...

(GROWLS)

...has got backup.

His family.

Yellow baboons are one of the few animals

that dare to challenge a leopard.

(GRUNTS)

The bolder males try to distract the attacker.

But the leopard is relentless.

(BABOONS CALL)

(SNARLING)

The fall leaves him injured and disorientated.

But now he might just have a chance

if the leopard can be kept at bay.

(BABOONS CALL)

The family are not backing down.

(SNARLS)

They'll hold the leopard here for as long as they can.

Remarkably, this baboon has survived.

(BABOONS CALL)

(GRUNTS)

The secret to baboons' success is that they work together.

Primates are excellent collaborators,

but they will also turn to ruthless exploitation

if it can give them the edge.

And there are few sneakier than these lion-tailed macaques.

Here in southern India,

monsoon rains mean that it's jackfruit season.

These enormous 10kg hulks

are the largest tree fruits in the world.

A feast.

But until they're ripe,

they remain completely inedible.

And macaques, unfortunately,

find it hard to tell which ones are ready to eat.

Luckily, help is at hand.

These giant Malabar squirrels

have a keen sense of smell...

...tuned in to the ripest fruits.

The macaques watch the squirrels' every move...

...then try to muscle in.

When the squirrels hold their ground...

...the macaques have another trick

to get their ripe fruit to go.

They know that the squirrels won't follow them down to the ground.

This tactic gives the monkeys access to the pick of the bunch.

The squirrels do get a look-in eventually...

...although, even then,

the macaques can't seem to let them enjoy their share in peace.

Across the Indian Ocean is Madagascar.

Land of the lemurs.

They live nowhere else.

(LEMUR HOOTS)

Isolated for millions of years,

they've evolved into over 100 different species,

making up a fifth of all primates.

(SNORING)

In the north-west of the island,

soaring daytime temperatures mean it's siesta time...

...for a family of blue-eyed black lemurs.

Although only the males are black.

The females are brown.

But still blue-eyed.

(BABY LEMUR TRILLS)

Every female is carrying an infant.

They're in the midst of their seasonal baby boom.

The adults snatch any opportunity for a rest.

But the infants have other ideas.

The males can slope away for peace and quiet.

But the females are left to deal with the boisterous youngsters.

At a month old, the infants still rely on their mothers for milk.

And their daily wash.

Like many primates, lemurs are prone to ticks and other parasites,

but as well as grooming each other,

this group have developed a more ingenious means

of keeping pests at bay.

Self-medication.

When these carpenter ants feel under attack,

they spray formic acid -

which the lemurs put to good use.

This behaviour has only just been discovered,

but it seems that rubbing this acid,

mixed with a bit of spit, onto their fur

acts as an effective tick repellent.

They've learned to access their own jungle pharmacy.

The only possible side-effects seem to be yet more drowsiness.

Luckily, this time the youngsters are also ready for a rest.

Or maybe not.

Isolated off Africa's west coast

is the tropical island of Bioko.

It's one of the last strongholds...

...of perhaps the least-known primate in the world.

A shy forest monkey that rarely

ventures out in the open...

...unless there's a good reason.

Scientists think this is a candidate for the largest monkey in the world.

But so few have been studied, no-one's sure.

This is a drill.

A battle-scarred male.

He's past his prime,

and now pretty much toothless.

Getting into this bounty is going to be hard.

Kicked out of the family group,

he's forced to live out his final years alone,

combing the beach for food.

Deep inside the forest, life couldn't be more different.

For the rest of the troop,

a giant fruiting tree provides more than enough for everyone.

A group that might be 50 strong.

Drill society is ruled by alpha males in peak condition.

Adult males that can't compete are not tolerated.

The old male is now an exile.

And he's not the only one keeping a low profile.

A much younger male, not ready to be an alpha,

is also an outcast, skulking around the beach.

He's showing off something the old male is lacking.

Massive canine teeth.

The youngster puts them to work on the coconut.

That's how it's done.

To survive as a toothless outcast,

the old male has adopted a new strategy.

Scavenging.

It's still a mouthful.

But it seems an old drill can learn new tricks.

(THUNDER RUMBLES)

Adaptability and resilience are primate hallmarks.

When the Amazon rainforest floods each year,

it creates a challenging maze that few can navigate.

An exception is the bald-headed white uakari...

...but they do pay a price.

To find enough food,

they have to spend more of their daily energy travelling

than any other primate.

In the dry season here in Senegal,

a chimpanzee troop can survive thanks to their elders' memory

of hidden water supplies in every corner of their territory...

...life-saving knowledge they pass on to the next generation.

Snub-nosed monkeys in China survive higher than any other wild primate.

They're adapted to the thin air at this altitude.

And their snub noses aren't prone to frostbite in the freezing cold.

This adaptability means primates

can exploit the most unexpected opportunities.

(CHIRPING)

Winter in South Africa.

As the sun sets...

...the night shift starts to stir.

(CHIRPING)

Bushbabies are rather different-looking primates...

...and, being nocturnal, more often heard than seen.

- (CHIRPING) - (ANIMAL GRUNTS)

For their size, they have the largest ears of any primate...

(ANIMAL GRUNTS)

...which tune in to the sounds of the African night.

(TRUMPETING)

It's a jungle out there.

Well, almost.

(GROWLING)

This is Pretoria Zoo.

(INSECTS BUZZ)

But these bushbabies are wild.

(ANIMALS AND BIRDS CALL)

Although it might seem a dangerous place

for an animal so small

it could fit in a pint glass,

there is something in these zoo gardens that for a bushbaby

is irresistible.

They usually catch insects on the wing,

but in winter, there aren't any around.

What they really want is nectar.

To get it, they've learned to find their way around the zoo,

all 200 acres of it.

And they have an unusual trick to help them.

They smear sticky drops of urine onto their hands and feet...

...to leave a scent trail

and to give them extra grip...

...before they jump to light speed.

Elastic tendons in their legs...

...act like catapults,

firing them ten times their body length.

A bushbaby needs to be careful.

Cats, snakes and owls

would all make a meal out of them.

Good job that here, most of the hunters are safely behind bars.

(GROWLS)

Even so, this bushbaby's smart enough not to hang around.

At last. Jackpot!

Bird-of-paradise flowers.

These native plants grow in abundance here

and they're full of syrupy nectar...

...a high-energy drink that will keep this bushbaby fuelled all night.

(VEHICLE PASSES)

When feeding time is over...

...bushbabies can retrace their scented urine trails

back to the family nest...

...until they head to the zoo again tomorrow.

For many primates, living alongside humans is a challenge.

But it's a skill at least one family has mastered.

The macaques.

They are the widest spread group of monkeys,

ranging across Asia,

North Africa and Southern Europe.

(CHITTERING)

These long-tailed macaques in Thailand

have learned to pluck human hair

to use as dental floss.

(SHRIEKS)

And this population in Bali have gone one step further.

They've learned to barter...

...only giving up their loot

in exchange for the highest-value foods.

But there is one place

where the relationship is rather different.

It's cherished.

One of the most sacred sites in Kathmandu's City of Temples

is Swayambhunath Stupa.

A troop of rhesus macaques

joins the throng of early-morning worshippers

looking for food.

But here, the macaques don't need to steal.

They simply take up their positions

and wait.

These monkeys are worshipped as gods.

They have charmed us,

and take full advantage of our adoration.

Once they're full, the group finally has time to relax.

But it isn't long before the youngsters start to get bored.

(EXCITED SQUEAKING)

And of course, once one goes in,

they all want to take the plunge.

They seem to double-dare one another

to make increasingly outlandish leaps.

Finally, it's the turn of the senior swimmers

to get their chance to cool off.

But the old girls do make a rather irresistible target.

This temple troop are thriving...

...in a world increasingly shaped by humans.

Exploiting their revered status

is a brilliant strategy for survival...

...making these rhesus macaques...

...one of the most successful of this extraordinary animal family.

Many primates live in the tropical rainforest.

Our teams spent months trekking in steamy jungles...

...searching in the pouring rain...

...and staring hopefully upwards into the treetops.

One crew headed to the Brazilian Amazon to film white uakari.

Another set out to capture lion-tailed macaques

feasting on jackfruit on a tea plantation in India,

and their first job was to find the best fruiting trees.

We don't have any passages or pathways.

We're making our ways cutting the roots and all the bush through.

In Brazil, the forest isn't just thick with vegetation -

it's also flooded five metres deep.

You can't get anywhere without a boat.

The flooded forest is full of life, including caiman.

For this shoot, it's all about being up in the treetops with the uakari.

First, rope specialist James

fires a fishing line over the highest branch...

...then uses that to pull up over 100m of ropes

to rig a filming platform in the tree.

When you're 6' 4", working from a tiny canoe is a bit precarious.

And only once he's in the canopy can James

work out exactly where to position the camera platform.

JAMES: OK. Take in the slack as tight as you can, please.

OK, it's locked.

For James, this cramped treehouse will be home for the next few weeks.

Back in India, the monsoon weather brings

a rather unwanted animal encounter.

Like, so many leeches today.

Thousands of bloodsuckers.

Every time we stop, they are just all over us.

He's got 30, he's got 27 or something,

and I've counted more than 40.

The rain also seems to be putting the macaques off their food.

We've been here for over five hours now, absolutely nothing.

The weather is changing continuously.

It's a day that's wasted.

And the forecast in Brazil

- is...changeable. - (THUNDER RUMBLES)

Filming is now the last thing on James's mind.

This is the sort of weather that gets me very nervous

when I'm up in the canopy, swaying around all over the place.

Very, very big tree.

I can hear thunder, which means there's lightning prowling around somewhere.

And here comes the rain.

(CHUCKLES)

And this is proper rain.

Oh, man.

Now, that's a downpour.

(THUNDER CRACKS)

I'm out of here.

That was getting too hairy for me.

Rain is one thing.

Heavy wind, thunder, lightning - that's another.

You either stay in the canopy and get zapped by lightning

or you come down and expose yourself to all sorts of nastiness.

In India, the rain has eased off,

and the macaques are finally feeding on the jackfruit.

But they've been joined by giant squirrels,

and the macaques don't like it.

We just saw a squirrel being chased by a lion-tailed macaque.

It's the first time we are seeing

a squirrel actually trying to go for a jackfruit.

A monkey and a giant squirrel fighting over an enormous fruit?

That's too good to miss.

We were this close from getting that shot, but just missed it.

We just have to keep waiting.

The squirrel and the lion-tailed macaques are in frame.

Wait for it.

Ohh! Whoa.

Oh, my God. Nice little slap, huh?

Very gentle slap, it's not really hurting him,

but just like "buzz off" kind of thing.

Perfect.

So, success in India, but what about Brazil?

James has spent ten hours a day, for 15 consecutive days,

cramped in his hide in all weathers,

on a mission to film uakari.

The bald-headed monkeys paid him a handful of brief visits

and of course, when they did, it was inevitably raining.

But for James, this was still a result.

It was still hacking down with rain, really heavy.

I got a few shots.

It's beautiful - really, really cool.

Filming primates is undoubtedly challenging.

But come rain, and occasionally shine,

we were able to capture new stories

and reveal new insights about these fascinating animals.

Next time...family is everything for the primates.

Every triumph is shared,

and every drama too.

Discover how this remarkable family

conquered the planet by working together.